The other day I saw an acquaintance of mine limping down the street in pain from an acute attack of gout. Over the years we have compiled thousands of hours of Ringmaster Rubbing Oil testimonials on audio tape to determine its various uses and to validate the efficacy of our product. The stories that are the most compelling involve people with intense pain. Especially those people suffering from gout, which is a type of arthritis caused by a crystallization of uric acid that concentrates in the joints, causing severe pain and inflammation.

Ringmaster does an effective job in reducing the pain and inflammation of gout but it does not cure it. Essentially, gout occurs in people who don’t produce sufficient amounts of the necessary digestive enzyme to dissolve uric acid enough to prevent it from accumulating in the blood and tissues that ultimately form into needle like crystals.

Gout and the big toe

Gout is also known as Podagra when it affects the big toe. Uric acid is more likely to crystallize at lower temperatures which is why it localizes in the big toe which is , furthest from the heart. However, gout can also affect the knee, foot, ankle, wrist and even the fingers. Uric acid is formed from foods high purines and proteins, such as organ meats, red meat, shellfish, beer and soft drinks.

Ninety-five percent of all gout patients are men over 30. The British Medical Journal published a 12 year study on 43,000 men with no history of gout. The study concluded that there was a correlation between the incidence of gout and the consumption of high fructose sweetened soft drinks. Fructose in fruit and juice also increases the risk of gout. Other purine producing foods are herring, muscles, sardines, hearts, smelt and yeast. Complex carbohydrates such fruits and vegetables can reduce the symptoms of gout. Increasing your consumption of clear liquids can help flush out uric acid. Losing weight can also help to reduce the build up of uric acid.

Many gout sufferers say the pain is so pronounced they can’t even stand to have the bed sheet touch their toe. To prevent a re-occurence of gout you have to consider such things as diet and nutrients as a safe way to treat gout. Gout often occurs after a night of drinking alcohol and eating the wrong foods. In my case it was a big plate of fried chicken wings and three glasses of wine, without drinking water. I don’t ordinarily eat fried wings but my friend ordered them and convinced me to help him finish off the plate. These were the perfect ingredients (protein and alcohol) for an acute attack of gout. The next day Mr. Gout took of residence in my right knee and stayed there for three days.

It took a combination of Ringmaster Rubbing Oil and 500mg of Bromelain enzyme capsules, every three hours to evict it. After that experience with gout I am very careful with my diet and as an extra precaution I take natural enzyme tablets to enhance my digestion and 3 grams of omega fish oil and a multivitamin to help block inflammation. I even munch on celery sticks, occasionally, to keep my uric acids levels low enough to prevent an attack. Dr. Jonathan Wright of Tahoma Clinic, in Seattle Washington, writes in his “Nutrition & Healing” newsletter that low doses of lithium (a trace mineral:and 2 grams of vitamin C prevents the uric acids from crystallizing by making it easier for the body to disolve. Conventional doctors use anti-inflammatory drugs that increase uric acid excretion and decrease the production of uric acid.

Areas of the world with highest lithim levels have the lowest levels of gout. Bromelain, my favorite, is a digestive enzyme made from pineapple and other fruits, is also an effective treatment for gout. Folic acid is also known to block the enzyme that causes the production of uric acid. Unsweetened cherry juice is a popular treatment for preventing or treating gout. Cherry juice can be purchased at a health food store.

Dr. Dr. David Campbell, publisher of the “Alternatives” newsletter, said celery seed extract works consistently on gout. Clinical studies using 34 mg. of celery seed extract showed significant reduction in pain after three weeks of use. Perhaps the bible had the best answer in treating gout, with the olive leaf, which was referenced in the book of Ezekiel 47:12: “The fruit thereof shall be for meat and the leaf thereof for medicine. Olive leaf extract has been studied as a successful treat for gout. Supplements from the stinging nettle leaf plant, an herb that grows wild in temperate regions of the world, has been used by European doctors to reduce uric acid build-up associated with gout.

As always, make sure you consult the proper health professional before beginning any treatment.

Douglas Sewell is president of the Detroit based Painexx Corp., makers of the world’s most powerful topical pain reliever.